Are Amarillo emergency groups prepared for a tornado disaster?

Morning rain showers fell on the Amarillo area Tuesday, creating temporary flooding on South Osage Street near Interstate 40. Government and American Red Cross officials are planning for the possibility of severe weather in Amarillo's future.

As Amarillo residents endured a brief thunderstorm Tuesday that brought crucial rainfall to the area, Moore, Okla., residents were reeling from a tornado that destroyed houses, a hospital and two schools. The twister, blamed for 24 deaths so far, was categorized by the National Weather Service as a top-of-the-scale EF-5.

Amarillo community members are preparing for severe weather expected to arrive in the area Thursday.

Martha Riddlespurger, American Red Cross Texas Panhandle chapter emergency services field inspector, said the organization has designated relief shelters in every zip code and trained volunteers to assist at those sites.

“We are prepared. We are ready if something happens,” Riddlespurger said.

Kevin Starbuck, emergency management coordinator for the Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management, said there are no public shelters during severe weather.

“With the size of the population we have, we would put far more people at risk,” Starbuck said.

Instead, Starbuck advises residents to follow weather safety guidelines instructing those in affected areas to take shelter in a small interior room or basement and seek better shelter immediately if they are in a vehicle or mobile home.

Starbuck also said if a severe weather event occurred in the Amarillo area, first responders would begin search-and-rescue, then, depending on what area was impacted, plans already in place with the Red Cross would designate safe sites and shelters.

Residents also can look to local church groups for assistance. Dave Anderson, an executive pastor at Paramount Baptist Church, said there are about 80 individuals in the church’s Texas Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Team. The team assists after an event with cleanup, feeding and child care, among other duties. Currently, members of the team are assisting in West after a fertilizer plant explosion last month and in Granbury after a tornado killed six last week.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May to early June is the peak of tornado season for the southern plains, with May 2003 as the most active month on record. In that month, 543 were confirmed in the U.S. The second-deadliest month in recorded history was in 2011, with 553 deaths from over 15 states. Missouri and Alabama were the hardest hit that year, with 158 deaths in Missouri and 245 in Alabama.

The death toll for 2013 before Monday’s tornado was nine.

B.J. Simpson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Amarillo, said the weather is normal for this time of year in the Great Plains.

“This is generally the peak time for severe weather,” Simpson said.

Simpson added Amarillo definitely has been drier than normal this spring, and rain would be welcome. The thunderstorm Tuesday morning added 0.44 of an inch in Amarillo, bringing the total for the year to 4.82 inches, down from the yearly average of 5.39 inches, Simpson said.

While the difference seems small, Simpson said most of the total came from this year’s near-record blizzard and other snow events in January and February. The precipitation received Tuesday will most likely not make a difference in the drought unless it is followed by additional showers, Simpson said.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Simpson said. “If you want to get some moisture this time of year, you’re probably going to have to deal with severe weather.”

He also said, for now, Amarillo does not appear to be at risk for tornadoes, but the chance will be higher later in the week, when storms are predicted to develop. He advised citizens in and around Amarillo to be alert and prepare in case severe weather does occur.

“It’s never too early to practice your plan for severe weather. Take a second and think about what you’re going to do if a tornado rips through your neighborhood.”

Mike Vaughn of Concrete Products Inc. and president of the National Storm Shelter Association said the storm shelter business is driven by what people see on the news.

“People tend to put it out of sight and out of mind until something happens,” he said. “Usually, the closer to them, the more aware they become. But I guess that’s reality with all of us.”

Darrel Podzemny, owner of EF-5 Shelters, said they sold 500 shelters last year, but they won’t do the same this year.

“The main reason is there’s not a lot of FEMA rebate money here. They’ve moved to different counties,” he said. “These storms will definitely get people thinking about safety for them and their family.”

Be ready

According to ready.gov, a Department of Homeland Security site that promotes disaster-readiness, the following items should be kept in a basic disaster kit:

■ Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

■ Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

■ Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

■ Flashlight and extra batteries

■ First aid kit

■ Whistle to signal for help

■ Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place